Secrets are a dangerous business
by Stern des Suedens
Summary: During a new case the Team met someone from their past they thought to be dead for 8 years.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. All rights belong to CBS. Everything is truly fictional. **

**A/N: Hey this is my first story I write in English. It's not my native language, so forgive me if not everything is proper English, since I never wrote more than short school essays in English. But if theres someone who want to betaread my story it would be nice if you send me a PM. **

**Thank you for reading **

* * *

„Grab your gear", said Special Agent Gibbs to his team. Ziva stood up and went to Gibbs.

"I need to talk to you. Just for a second" she said matter of factly. Gibbs saw the hurt look in her eyes and knew instantly that something was wrong with his Agent. He looked over to her husband, Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, who looked on his desk and he saw the guilt written all over his body language.

Gibbs walked to a quiet corner so Ziva could speak without being overheard.

"Could I … ", she began nervously. "Could I stay here today and do some paperwork?"

"What happened?" Gibbs asked surprised by her wish.

"I just don't want to see Tony more than I need to today."

"What has he done?" Ziva eyes went to the floor. She didn't want to talk to Gibbs about what happened last night. It was painful enough to hear Tony's words in her head all over again. And it already made her sick to her stomach.

* * *

"Nothing. We had a fight last night and I do not wish to repeat it Gibbs. But please, I don't want to see him today. Not more than I need to and there's a lot of work to do."

"You two have to get over this fight. I can't keep you on paper work the rest of your life Zeevah."

The former Mossad agent looked up with an expression of hurt in her eyes Gibbs saw the last time … well he wasn't exactly sure when he saw it the last time but he knew that he saw it a long time ago. And his gut told him it was something painful she went through last night. What the hell did they argue about and what was it that gave her this horrible look on her face.

"OK fine. Stay here. I'll call you than and give you the information's about or dead body so you can start with your background checks."

"Thank you Gibbs" He saw the relief the moment he spoke the words.

"You're welcome."

Ziva left to sit on her desk, with Tony and McGee waiting for them to come back. Already ready to go.

"Don't you come, Ziva", McGee asked.

"Ziva will stay here for today." He looked at Tony who tried not to look at his wife. "You're coming."

And so the rest of the Team left.

Ziva looked at her desk full of papers. She tried to working on them, but always short pictures of last night popped up in her head. She couldn't concentrate.

She hadn't talked to Tony the following morning. She left early for her daily run. Normally she got up at 5 o'clock but today she didn't slept well and was awake at 3.30 a.m.

She remembered her days when she was still with Mossad. She remembered her childhood when her father left early for a run and when she turned 13 and joined him. The first weeks she was unable to hold on with her father. He told her she didn't need to keep up with him, but Ziva loved whatever the sport was doing to her body. She felt so exhausted afterwards, but all she could think of was the aim of keeping up with her father.

She stood up changed into her sport clothes and went for a run. It was a natural medicine for her to stop her head from memories. She had her iPod with her and tried to concentrate on her audio book.

* * *

"What've we got?" Gibbs asked McGee.

"Hamid Al-Abi. He worked for the Pentagon" McGee read. "He was shot in the head. The police officer found this note in his jacket." He gave the piece of paper to Gibbs.

'NCIS – Catherine and Aaron Reynolds – Franklin St. 4922 - Annapolis.' "The note is actually the reason why the police called us."

"Who are they" Tony asked. "I have no idea." Gibbs got his cell and dialed the number.

"Ziva I want you to find out about Catherine and Aaron Reynolds and their relationship to Hamid Al-Abi. We got their address on a note."

"Ok, I will do my best Gibbs."

"Ducky what can you tell me?"

"Not much. Only that it was a perfect shoot in the head from a near distance."

"You think he knew his murder."

"I don't know, Jethro."

"Fine. How long do you think you need?"

"I will give you the results as soon as possible."

* * *

"Here is it, Boss" McGee said. They went to their first trace. The address let to house in Annapolis. The Team went to the door and Tony ringed the bell.

A little girl, maybe 6 or 7 opened the door. She has curled dark brown hairs. She also had darker skin and wore a cute purple dress. When Tony looked at the little girl eyes he was taken aback for a second. If he didn't know it better, he would have thought that he saw a mini Ziva right in front of him. But that was impossible. He looked over to McGee who must have thought the same thing, along with Gibbs.

"Hello. Are your parents at home? I'm Special Agent Gibbs and that are Special Agent's McGee and DiNozzo. We have a view questions."

"Eh … yes but they told me not to…"

"Fatima? Who's on the door?" a man asked.

"Three men who want to ask you and Mommy a view questions. They asked me to come in?!"

The man appeared on the door and when he recognized the three men who were standing there he looked shocked. Gibbs immediately took his weapon but the man gave him a look that said 'Don't dare to shoot me in front of my daughter!'

"Fatima, please go inside and in your room. But be quiet." She faced the Agents and then her father again. "Why? What do they want from you?"

"I think they will tell me inside. Just go to your room and I will come later and play with you, I promise."

"Everything I want?"

"Everything you want. Now go."

"Fine" she said not to happy. He waited until he heard his daughter's bedroom door close than he said

"Please come inside. I think whatever you want is not for nosy neighbors."

He let them into the kitchen; on the outside he looked cooler than he was. What the hell are these three men doing in his house?

"I thought your dead" Gibbs and Tony shouted furiously.

"Not so loud, please. You will wake my daughter. My other daughter" he added at the quizzical look on Gibbs face. His blood boil. This monster had two daughters, had a life when he took Kate's life so cruel. He thought he would never have to see this man again. And here he was. Standing right in front of him and the only thing which hold him back of shooting the man in front of him instantly was the knowledge that there was a beautiful child upstairs waiting for him to come. And as much hate he felt for this man, he would never take a father from his daughter when another man had took his daughter so cruelly from him.

"So what can I do for you, Agent Gibbs?"

"Maybe you start with 'Why the hell you are not dead!'" Tony yelled furiously. He still could feel the blood of his shot partner on his face. He still felt the pain of her death. And he knew about the pain Ziva felt, and the fight they had last night because this bastard was her brother and she missed him. He couldn't get over his hate for him the last 8 years.

_It wasn't the first nightmare she suffered. Tony knew that his wife was regularly visited by demons from her past. But the most painful for him was the one when she started crying. He tried to wake her up. During his trying he heard her whisper. He stopped. "Ziva?" He listened closer. She murmured something he thought was her native language Hebrew. "Ziva, wake up" he begged. _

_"Ari no!" she whispered louder. Tony froze. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop the feeling of hate. _

_"ARI!" his wife cried again. "You promised!" _

_"Ziva wake up!" He tried harder, but his heart was hurting. What did that bastard do to his wife? What kind of promise did he break? His hatred for him grew even bigger than it already was. This bastard killed his partner, who was like a sister to him. _

_His heart broke when he finally slapped her to wake her up. Immediately Ziva was awake, ready for a fight. Tony holds her hands. "I'm sorry. You had a nightmare and I couldn't wake you up." _

_"It wasn't a nightmare she whispered."_

_"You called Ari's name" he said. "You said something about a promise he broke." _

_Ziva saw the hate in Tony's eyes. She closed her eyes, because she didn't want to see it. _

_"It's ok. It was just a memory. It's ok Tony. Let's get back to sleep."_

_"What has he done, Ziva", he almost yelled. _

_"NOTHING! Let's get back to sleep, Tony."_

_"What has the bastard done?" His hand around hers got tighter so it began to hurt. Ziva made a quick move to free them from him._

_"This bastard was my brother! And he did nothing I would tell you about! So stop it!" _

_"Has he hurt you?! Has he…" _

_"Stop it Tony. You don't know my brother. Nobody of you do! He wasn't the monster you, McGee, Abby, Ducky and especially Gibbs saw in him!"_

_"Yeah, that's why he killed Kate." _

_"That was the Hamas side took over him. That was not my brother. My brother was kind!"_

_"Like you were, when we first met?" _

_"What does that mean 'When we first met?'"_

_"You were a ruthless killer, just like your worthless brother, Ziva!"_

_Ziva slapped him hard, but not as hard as she wanted to. _

_"Be careful, Tony. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MADE US LIKE THAT!"_

_"So tell me!" _

_"My family is nothing of your concern."_

_"Oh yes?" he asked sarcastically. "Well you know what. It made me sick that I married in your family of ruthless killer!" He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth, but he couldn't take them back. _

_"Well, then you shouldn't have marry me!" _

_"Ziva, I don't mean it like that."_

_"Of course you do! I am long enough at your team to know how much you hate my brother."_

_"Ziva…!" _

_"Just go, Tony or I forget myself! You have no idea what it means to lose your siblings to a war." _

"You should be dead. You killed my partner, you worthless, arrogant, bastard!"

"DiNozzo" Gibbs shouted as they heard a cry from upstairs.

"Damn. See what you have done DiNozzo!" Ari said angrily.

"Oh well, I don't care. Have you thought about what your death did to your sister?" It wasn't just yesterday. He knew that Ziva suffered from guilt because it was her shoot who took her brother's life away. And that is guilt not even the ruthless Mossad part of her could take. He stilled felt sorry for what he said. He knew what made her the ruthless woman she pretended to be. He was angry because he couldn't get himself to help her when it came to the part that she missed her brother, because he was satisfied that that man he hated the most was dead. And know this man causing Ziva and his Team so much pain is standing right in front of him.

"How do you know about my sister, and why would you care for her" Ari asked alarmed. He didn't like that man, but the thought that he could have something to do with his little sister made him even more angrier and he forgot about the noise his daughter made upstairs. All he could see was red. He thought about attacking Tony but Gibbs already has his weapon in his hand.

"I wouldn't do that, Haswari" he hissed.

"You won't" he said. "You were a father yourself and you are to much a Marine to take me away from my daughter. Not because of me, but because of her."

"I may not kill you, but I will shoot you if you attack my Agent!"

"So tell me, why you care about my sister. You saw her once 8 years ago!"

"And I married her two years ago!"

"You are married" a disbelieving female voice said behind his back. The three NCIS Agents turned around to the voice.

"Kate" is all they got out.

There she stood. Alive and holding a baby in her arms snuggling on her shoulder. The little girl was red from crying.

"Hello" she said and walked by them. She gave the little baby to Ari who held her tightly and whispered reassuring words in her ear. Tony thought it had to be Hebrew or Arabic but he would bet on Hebrew, since it sounds more like the words Ziva said in her sleep.

"Put your weapon away Gibbs, you may hurt someone" Gibbs knew she was referring to Ari, who he couldn't shoot with a baby in his arms.

"Is he holding you hostage" he asked angry. He was glaring at Ari with a murderous gaze.

"No! Or do I look like a hostage to you?"

"Kate, I don't understand. You are dead. You died in my arms."

"That is complicated. But what are you doing here and why is Tony married to Ziva."

"How do you know about Ziva", Tony asked angry that his long lost partner seemed to be alive and keeping the bed warm for are terrorist.

"You said you are married to his sister, and since Tali is dead, I thought there is only Ziva you could be married to. And by the way, why are you here?"

"You have a lot of questions to answer Kate, you know that?"

"Why are you here, Gibbs."

"Do you know Hamid Al-Abi, Kate" McGee asked.

"Yes, why? What happened to him?"

"He was found dead and had this note in his jacket." He showed it to Kate and Ari who was still rocking his daughter.

"That are our names" Kate said. "Well, the ones we are now living under."

"Maybe he found out about our past" Ari said.

"We have to take you two to NCIS"

"No Gibbs, you can't bring us there. Remember we are dead. What will the other say?"

"That is not my problem. And I will you have to answer me the question why the hell you are sleeping with a terrorist!"

"And what's about Jasmine and Fatima. We can't leave them all alone."

"You can take them with you and you will come to NCIS with us. There is a lot you two has to answer."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So I'm still not a native speaker so sorry again for spelling and gramatical mistakes. **

**_Disclaimers:_**** NCIS, the rights to the show and its characters do not belong to me. If it would Kate, Ari and Jenny wouldn't be that and Kate & Ari, Ziva and Tony would be a couple! **

* * *

"No, this couldn't be" was all Ziva thought when she saw the photo from the driving license on the monitor. It was definitely his face.

But he was dead. It couldn't be him. It just couldn't be. She did a background check on this guy who looks so much like her brother.

Aaron Reynolds, born in San Diego, California and lived the past eight years two years in Munich, eighteen month in London and three years in Paris with his family. Now he was a doctor in Medstar Health in Annapolis. His wife was working as a Profiler and as an artist. The couple had two children, Fatima and Jasmine Reynolds.

There wasn't much else about his life to say only that it was quite ordinary.

This couldn't be her brother. It was impossible. He must be some guy who looks like him. Deep in her thoughts Ziva didn't realized when the elevator door opened and Gibbs, Tony, Kate and Ari walked out of it. McGee took the children to Abby. Kate protested because she wanted to see her best friend again, but Gibbs told her she could see her after interrogation. Ari instead wasn't all too happy about the reunion. It couldn't be good if too many people know that he was still alive and being back and NCIS meant they could shout it from the rooftops that they were happily alive.

He stopped when he saw her standing there. Well, yes her appearance was different now but she still looked like his little sister. And in front of her was his picture, so she already knew. Ari sighed.

He sometimes thought about that moment, even wished for it but now standing here, seeing her, was something that was much more difficult to face than he ever imagined.

"Shalom Ziva" The Agent stopped in her moves. She would recognize this voice no matter if she hadn't heard it in years. Ziva turned around only to see her long lost brother coming towards her.

"I already thought I'm gone crazy" she stated coldly, eyeing her brother.

"It is nice to see you too, Akhot ktana" Ari said with the smirk he used on her when they were children.

"You are not my brother! My brother is dead!" If it was possible her voice froze even more. Ziva noticed that Ari hadn't changed much since the last time she had seen him. He looks older, but he has still the same dark, short hair and his arrogant smile. Well, she liked his smile. It used to make her feel home and safe. He always smiled like that when she was mad, usually when her father didn't showed up to her dance performance.

From the outside nobody could have noticed how hurt Ari was by her words, he was good at not showing any emotions. And sometimes he was glad he learned that lesson a long time ago.

"Shouldn't you be in Israel, being Daddys little warrior?" he asked a little harsher that he meant to. He wasn't here to argue with her.

"My father is dead" Ziva stated, pronouncing the word my. The others could feel that the temperature between the siblings froze to zero and the atmosphere was like they would start the third world war.

"He is dead" Ari repeated shocked.

"Are you happy now? That's what you always wanted Ari!" She yelled. She knew by calling his name she could no longer deny he was really standing right in front of her. That what happen right now was real. She was sure this wasn't just one of her usually nightmares. They had other destination to hunting her.

"Ziva I never wanted him to …!"

"Leave it Ari. I don't want to hear your lies! There had been too many in the past." She didn't care about how he survived her bullet. All she cared was that he was there, alive, while she believed him to be dead.

"I never lied to you, Ziva."

"No?" Ziva laughed bitterly. "So what's about your promises you never kept?! You promised you would never leave me! You promised you would always be there for me and what have you done?! You died! Ok, that was something I learned to life with after I left Israel, but now you are here and alive. So you left me on purpose, when you promised you wouldn't! You left me alone, when I needed you!" Ziva yelled all the anger she felt towards her brother out of her.

"Ziva" Tony began, but Ziva raised her hand and stopped him.

"Don't" Facing her brother again, shaking her head. Ziva didn't yelled anymore, but her voice sounded broken, which was even more horrible for Ari to hear.

"My brother is dead! No matter if you're still breathing or not, my brother died the very moment he killed my sister."

It was like Ziva slept him in the face. How could she talk to him about Tali like that?!

"I NEVER killed Tali!" he yelled angrily.

"Of course you did! Maybe you didn't kill her yourself, but you betrayed her by becoming just like her killers!"

"You know why I joined Hamas. I wanted revenge just like you, but I was never like them. So don't sentence me for that!"

"It's over Ari. I don't want to hear your lies anymore. I can't do this anymore." She walked past him.

"I have to get out of here, Gibbs" was all she said before she left.

"She will get over it. It was just too much for here right now, to see you again." Kate took his hand and smiled to him.

* * *

"Abby?"

"Yes?"

"Could you look over these two children? We have their parents for interrogation."

"McGee, I really don't have the time to …"

"Please, Abby. It's important."

Abby looked at the two kids and thought something on them looked so familiar.

"Hello" Fatima said. "Are you Abby?"

"Yes" Abby said. "Are you going to play with me? My father promised me he would, but now he has to answer stupid question and Mommy said you would be nice to me and would be play with me."

Abby looked to McGee, who whispered "Please".

"Fine, yes, I will play with you. But before that you have to tell me your name."

"I'm Fatima and this is my little sister Jasmine, but she is boring. All she can do is crying."

"You know what. When I was in your age, I thought the same about my little brother. But when he got older we had a lot of fun."

"Thank you Abby."

"You're welcome, Tim. They are really cute."

"Hey! I am not cute!" Fatima protested.

Abby laughed and McGee left.

"Come, I will show you something", she said and picked Jasmine up.

"How old are you?"

"I will be seven in November."

"So you are a first grade?"

"Yes" Fatima said proudly.

"And how old is your sister?"

"She's 1 ½. "

"So was it weird for you? I mean, you had been an only child for five years and then…"

"My parents brought Jasmine home and suddenly she got all their attention. Yes that was weird", Fatima said. She looked at the Forensic. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course!"

"But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone, especially not my parents!"

"I Promise!"

"I love Jasmine, really. But it feels like my parents only see her and not me anymore."

"You were your parent's world and now there is someone else?"

"Yes. They don't see me anymore. My father always called me his little princess and now he is calling Jasmine the same. We had much more fun together before she was born!"

"No, that's wrong Fatima. Children in your sister's age just need more attention, but that doesn't mean your parents don't see you anymore. And a father can have two little princess, that doesn't mean he doesn't love you anymore. I'm sure he loves you still as much as he loved you before your sister were born."

"You're nice, Abby." And Abby hugged her for that. "Stop thinking like that."

* * *

Ziva walked away to her favorite place, when she finally allowed her tears to come. How could he do something like that to her? He promised that he would never leave her. When she shot him in Gibbs basement she thought she would never hear his voice again. She wished that she could speak to him once again, but the only place where this wish was possible were in her dreams. If he hadn't left, she wouldn't be here, she wouldn't be married to Tony, she would be married to another man. Ari promised he would be there for their Wedding; he was her fiancé's best friend. But everything changed when she arrived with Ari's dead body in Tel Aviv. Instead of a Wedding she had to plan a funeral. Her fiancé told her, he could wait until everything was over. He helped her with the funeral and mourned for Ari's dead. Maybe it was that, or that she couldn't see in his face without seeing Ari and her betraying, or maybe it was both. Fact was she left after the funeral, only leaving a small note because she was a coward. He run after her and for a very long time it was the last time she saw him on that Airport in Tel Aviv.

_"Ziva please wait!"_

_"I can't stay anymore. I need answers."_

_"Which you won't find here?"_

_"Which I may only find in Washington D.C. I am so sorry. I can't do this anymore. I don't know whom I can trust. The person I trusted the most betrayed me!"_

_"You can trust me, Ziva" He stroke her face, but she shook her head._

_"I have to find answers."_

_"You know I would wait for you?"_

_"Don't do that. I don't know when I will come back, you deserve a life."_ And when she saw him living his life again, she couldn't help but feel jealous over the women he fucked.

_She kissed him one last time._

_"Good bye" And left for her plane which would bring her to Washington D.C. and where she would start a new life, where she would search for her answers._

And now all she could thing about was that he was the only one who would understand here. Her father was dead. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number.

"Officer Ben-Gidon"

"Malachi?"

"Ziva?! Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me."

"What happened?" he asked alarmed.

"Nothing. Can't I just talk to an old friend?"

"Ziva, you haven't called me for 8 years. So what happened? Are you crying?"

Ziva whipped her tears away.

"Did you know that Ari is alive?"

"What are you talking about? Ari is dead."

"So you didn't know?"

"No. Ziva how is that possible. You brought his body back home 8 years ago."

"He showed up today. We talked to each other. We fight and I left. He's living under a wrong name. He has a family. He left me and he has a family, Malachi!" Ziva couldn't stop her tears anymore.

"Ziva, where are you I'll pick you up."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in Washington. I'll come and get you."

* * *

"You know, I never saw this side of the building before", Ari said to Kate, who stroke with her hand over her old desk.

"That was my working place" she said to her husband.

"It's Ziva's now", Tony said and started laughing.

"What's so funny, DiNozzo?" Kate asked.

"We said the same to her when she started working.

"Enough. I will start with you" Gibbs pointed to Ari. "DiNozzo, McGee you two will talk to Kate."

* * *

"So, how does it comes you are still alive?"

"I thought this is about Hamid's death?" But Gibbs just stares with his deadly glare at the man he once hated the most. He still did.

"Fine. My cover in Hamas was blown and they found out about Caitlin and threatened to kill her. I wanted to leave her to protect her, but I couldn't. She told me she was pregnant and I knew they would go after her and our child no matter if we were still together or not. We knew we were about to die. And so we faked our death. I didn't ask for Ziva's help, because I feared that Hamas would go after her too, when they find out she is my sister. I couldn't asked for Mossads help because that would have meant that too many people would have got involved and it would have been too easy for Hamas to find out that we are still alive. I think you have a rule about that. Rule Number 4, if you have a secret, the best thing is to keep it to yourself. The second-best is to tell one other person if you must. There is no third best."

* * *

"Is he good to you, Katie?" Tony asked.

"Yes, he is. He's really not that bad. He is nice, he cares and he loves me and our daughters."

"You are happy?" McGee asked.

"I am. But that doesn't mean I haven't missed you guys. I knew that I wouldn't see you again after my death. That was the reason I stayed with you Tony when you had the pneumonic plague. I knew about the dangerous it would take for me and my unborn child, but I couldn't leave you knowing I only had a view more days to live."

"How long have you two been a couple, before you died?" Or better question: How long have you lied to us?

"He started visiting me after the incident in the autopsy. Tony, do you remember when you asked me about the Stockholm syndrome?"

"Yes."

"You knew there were something more; there was a reason why I couldn't stab him. I didn't know then what it was. I saw in his eyes, they were so kind and I couldn't stab him. When he first visited I wanted to kill him, but soon I realized that he wouldn't hurt me. The first time, all we did was talking and he promised he would come again. The second time when I got home, he cooked for me and we talked again. He said, he liked talking to me. He told me about his family, I told him about mine. It was just that. I was looking forward to our next meetings. I was so angry with him, when he kidnapped me, but when he visited again I let him in and he kissed me, told me he nearly lost control when he saw that Bassam slapped me. And that was when I realized that I loved him too. We were secretly together ever since that. He came for a visit and left again. But one day he showed up and told me he would leave me, that was when I just found out I was pregnant with Fatima."

"So he stayed because you were expecting a child?" McGee asked.

"No I didn't tell him. I yelled at him instead and when he was gone, I broke down and cried. He came back hours later and told me that Hamas found out about his cover and are now treating his and my life and that he wants to protect me. But he took a walk and knew beside his wishful thinking that they would go after me, not matter if he left and he couldn't protect me if he left. I told him the next morning that I was pregnant. We knew we had to die, so we decided to die before Hamas could kill us. And we were able to start a quiet life after that. We moved a lot. I finally wanted to see the world. I always wanted to visit Europe and Ari was like, why don't we live there for awhile. So America could forget about us. We moved to Germany, England and France. And we visited Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and I don't know what else. We moved back to America two years ago, so that Jasmine could be born here and well, I really missed America. France was great, I loved their way of living, but America was still my home."

* * *

"How do you know Hamid Al-Abi."

"His daughter Samira is in Fatima's age and they are together at school. We met on one of this parents' evening and started talking. He told me his family is from Palestine and I couldn't help but telling him I have roots there too. But soon I realized he was radical and had a very clear mind about the Middle East conflict, which I never had. I grew up in Gaza and in Tel Aviv, I always hated this war. I grew up with a Muslim mother and also with my Jewish father, stepmother and my sisters. And I never said anything against Jewish people while I stayed in Gaza and never something against the people in Gaza when I stayed with my father. And it was the same when we met with Hamid. I never said something about the people from Israel and I soon realized he didn't like that."

"Do you know if he had any enemies?"

"I have no idea. But you obtain a lot of enemies if you work for the wrong side, what you always do. Or better if you work for two sides. Are we ready now?"

"For the moment."

Ari stood up and left for the door.

"Oh and Haswari, if I ever find out you don't threat Kate all right I will kill you."

"I could never hurt her, Gibbs. I really love her." The Senior Field Agent watched him, than nodded.

When both left the interrogation room, Kate, Tony and McGee were already waiting for them.

"You still alive? I am surprised", said Kate and flew into his arms, kissing him.

"It seems like people like me much more if I don't carry a gun" he smirked.

Kate turned to Gibbs.

"Can I see Abby and Ducky now? I really missed them?"

* * *

"I have to leave, Liat" Malachi said and grabbed his jacket.

"Who called you?"

"An old friend, who needs help with family matters."

"This 'old friend' wasn't Ziva, was it?"

"How do you know it was her?"

"I'm not stupid. You always acted like a puppy around her. She left you and still you spring after her, as soon as she calls."

"We used to be friends, Liat and she called me because of something important."

"You know she is married to that Agent DiNozzo. So why did she call you?"

Malachi didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her the truth. Ziva hadn't said it, but whatever made Ari to fake his death, it must be something important. And he also felt a responsibility toward his old friend.

"It's has something to do with our past back in Tel Aviv, that doesn't involve Agent DiNozzo, so he can't help her. "

He went to the door when Liat whispered

"I know you wanted to marry her."

Malachi stopped.

"That was a long time ago."

"Do you still love her?"

He left without answering that question. But no answer is an answer.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Soo, again I am not a native speake and I belive I am worse than Ziva with phrases. I take the phrases I use and ask google to translate them. So sorry if they are no the right ones to choose.**

**And I dont earn money with this, and all rights belong to CBS, I own nothing. But I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Chapter 3

Abby already played an hour with Fátima and Jasmine, she has shown the girls everything in her lab and now they played with Abby's hippo. She wouldn't have believed that watching two girls could be so hard and exhausting, if someone had told her before. But she already locked the girls in her heart.

Despite that, she felt relieved when she heard the door open.

"It's about time McGee" she said without looking who it was.

"Ah not as good as always I guess. Try again." Abby sprang up and turned around only to look in the eyes of the man she hated the most, she never realized that Ziva has the same eyes, and screeched.

"No, no why … that can't be … you are …" Abby stuttered. Fatima turned her head too and smiled at her father, wondering what it was that made Abby so anxious.

"It's alright Abby, that's only my dad!"

"Your dad" Abby said in disbelieve.

"Yes, her dad" another voice said. Abby felt like she was about to break down, when her once best friend took the hand of the bastard who was supposed to have killed her eight years ago.

"Kate" she whispered.

"Hello Abby" Kate smiled at the Goth. "How are you?"

"Kate he…" she looked to Ari, than saw Gibbs, McGee and Tony entered the lab too.

"Gibbs… Haswari, Kate… shoot him, Gibbs!"

"Abby what are you talking about?!" Fatima asked anxiously. Abby immediately felt guilty because she could hear the fear in the little girl's voice. And she liked Fatima and Jasmine and well, she maybe hated Ari Haswari but it seemed like he was their father and how could she possible want Gibbs to shoot a father?

"It's alright Abby. He is no threat", Gibbs said. "McGee, DiNozzo we will take the girl upstairs, I think the three have something to discuss."

Fatima looked up to her father.

"It's Ok, Mal'ach katan (little Angel). Go with them." Still suspicious Fatima left after the three Agents and her little sister.

Now there were only Ari, Kate and Abby in Abby's lab.

"Kate is that really you?" Abby asked still shocked to see two dead faces alive.

"Yes, it's really me" Abby couldn't stop herself from hugging her long lost friend.

"How is that possible, he killed you!" She pointed out to Ari.

"He didn't."

"Why did you leave me and the Team then?" Abby asked getting angry. "You left on purpose?" She asked disbelieving.

"I had to, Abby! I'm so sorry, but I had to leave."

"Did he force you to do? Oh my god, the kids. They are yours too, aren't they Kate? Did he rape you?!"

"Hey, I can hear you" Ari said angrily. "How you dare to claim that I raped her!"

"Ari, please …" Kate said, holding him back. "Abby, he would never do something as horrible as that!"

"He killed you"

"Am I hallucinating or is she standing there quite alive?" Ari asked sarcastically.

"Ari killed me to save my life, Abby. I was about to die, Hamas wanted us dead. So our only chance of staying alive was to die."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Abby asked, still not believing everything Kate said.

"Yeah, like Gibbs would have helped us. He would have shot a bullet through Ari's head before I would have got a chance to tell him the truth. And what could he have done. We would have lived the past eight years in fear, if we hadn't been dead. And so we had a chance of living and being a family."

"I'm glad you're alive, Kate" Abby finally said and hugged her again. Then she turned to Ari.

"I am sorry for what I said earlier.

* * *

"Ziva?"

"Thank you for coming" Ziva said without turning around. Malachi stood beside her and together they look over the river.

"Soo… Is it true?"

"We talked. We fight. I think it is."

"How does he look like?"

"Pretty much the same, he hardly changed. He still has his arrogant smile I sometimes wished to beat out on him. Remember?"

Malachi smiled. "Of course I remember. It's hard to forget. Besides, I now or then had the same wish."

Ziva looked over the river and both stand there quiet for a while, until Ziva suddenly spoke again.

"I thought he loved me? I thought he cared. Sometimes I thought he was the only one who cared about me."

"He did, Ziva. I'm very sure of that!" Malachi said seriously. "He always loved you. You were his little sister. Remember what he did, when we told him we had a relationship."

Ziva laughed.

"Yes I do, so why did he leave? He promised he would be there. He knew I needed him, I told him I couldn't lose him too. Not after Tali's death. We were about to start a normal life again, well as normal as possible but …" Ziva stopped and looked at him. "I think I would have done it Malachi, if he hadn't died. But after his death, I just … I couldn't."

"Ziva, it's about eight years. We moved on. It's Ok. You are married to another man and I have Liat…"

"Stop it Malachi" Ziva yelled. "It is not OK. Everything would have been different, if he hadn't left."

"Then you wouldn't be here! And you love it here!"

"Yeah, I do but … it broke me. His death. Isn't it enough that I already lost my full family? I just got over my father's death and now my long lost brother turns up and says hello here I am again! It is not fair!"

"Life isn't fair"

"You think I don't know that? I should know that better than everyone else! Nothing that ever happened to me was fair!" Ziva yelled angry and tears begun to wet her eyes. She began shaking and because Ziva David hates crying her face went to stone and her eyes were on no really point over the river. Malachi pulled her over to him and into a hug. At first Ziva fight him, but the Mossad Officer just grabbed her tighter.

"No, nothing was fair" he whispered. "But everything has its reason."

"Everything would be different. We would be married."

"It shouldn't be. Maybe it was good, we didn't. We were so young and you know such marriages aren't least long."

"We had dreams. It was so easy to dream then."

"Maybe it was that. We were living to fast, we never really thought about it. We just lived for the moment."

"You learn that with Mossad. Malachi? Do you sometimes wish time hadn't past? Have we missed our change of being happy?"

"I think we did. Aren't you happy Ziva?"

"Last week I would have said I am happy, but right now it is too much to be happy."

* * *

"I don't know if this really a good Idea, Caitlin? I mean, instead of Ms Scuito we really have a history?"

"Please Ari. I can't face him alone. I need you." Kate grabbed his hands and smiled at him. "And I thought you liked him."

"Oh I did. But I think he doesn't return my feelings" he grinned.

"Come on! It will be alright. I mean, he can't be worse than your sister."

"I kill you if he kills me."

"Hey, it was me who had the knife and I didn't stab you."

"The proper term is dissecting knife and I think he would have done it without hesitation."

"Let's go"

When they got into autopsy Kate had to laugh, when she heard Ducky talk to his death bodies.

"I guess some things are never changing?"

Ducky stopped immediately with his work and slowly turned around.

"Caitlin?" he said with disbelief. Then he saw Ari standing right behind her. "You?"

"Oh so you remember me, Doctor. What an honor."

"How is this possible?"

"We thought you are dead" Palmer said who couldn't believe either that Kate was here.

"Yeah, we were before Agent Gibbs thought it's about time to interrupt or quiet life." Ari said.

"And who are you?" Palmer asked.

"He is the man who shot Gerald and Kate."

"Oh yeah, how's Gerald? Can he use his arm again? I still have problems with my shoulder sometimes." Ari said.

"Yes he can. So how does it come that you two are alive?"

"We had to fake our death. We never really died, but we had to hide. Hamas was after us Ducky."

"So you actually told me the truth" he added at Ari.

"Mostly."

"Well I guess hiding Hamas isn't easy."

"Not if you are alive, than it's nearly impossible Dr. Mallard."

"You are happy Caitlin?"

Kate looked at Ari.

"Very" she smiled.

"So then, welcome Home my dear" he said and hugged her. Then he faced Ari.

"Dr. Haswari" and offered his Hand to him.

"Dr. Mallard" Ari said and took his hand.

* * *

**So I hope you liked it and it was not to much Ziva/Malachi, but I like the idea of them once been a couple. And I have so many stories in my head what could have been during their time in Israel, but tell me if it gots to much.**

**Oh and I promise there will be more Tony/Ziva in the next chapter. I really missed it in this chapter, but at least I could write my Kate and Ari moments**


End file.
